


Important

by the13thCaretaker



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Howard Stark's A+ Parenting, Tony Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-18
Updated: 2016-03-18
Packaged: 2018-05-27 10:21:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,030
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6280684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the13thCaretaker/pseuds/the13thCaretaker
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After an accident with his dad in the lab, Tony thinks he's just a mistake and that he shouldn't have been born. Jarvis, however, thinks differently.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Important

Tony ran to his room, trying not to cry as he ran up the stairs. The tears did start to flow though when his foot caught on the last step and he fell to the ground. The robot he held crashed to the ground, pieces scattering across the floor. Tony choked back a sob, everything was going wrong! His dad got angry when he asked for a tool to fix his robot, and dad had smelled like alcohol a g a I n, now his knee throbbed and the robot he had worked so hard on was broken in pieces before him. He quickly set to work, picking up the pieces with trembling hands, only to drop them again when he picked up too many. The boy groaned in frustration, swiping angrily at the hot tears falling down his face.  
Behind him heard footsteps and froze. What if it was dad? Tony swallowed and quickly scrambled to grab all the piece, shoving them into his pockets, but when he looked over his shoulder he felt a wave of relief wash over him. It was only Jarvis coming up.  
The butler stopped a few steps below him, looking at the scene, taking in the scattered pieces and the tears on Tony’s face.

“Master Tony, I have warned you about running in the house,” Jarvis chided gently, stepping up the last few steps and kneeling down on the landing to begin helping Tony pick up the pieces.

“Sorry Jarvis,” mumbled Tony, stuffing more into his bulging pockets.

“You are forgiven,” said Jarvis and Tony felt a little better. He always liked it when Jarvis said he forgave him for some reason, he didn’t quite know why. Maybe it was because dad never did. Maybe it was because Tony felt like Jarvis loved him enough to actually forgive him, even when Tony did a lot of things that didn’t have to be forgiven.

“Might I ask why you were running up the stairs?” Jarvis asked, standing up with some of the pieces in his hands.

“I just wanted to get to my room,” sighed Tony. He thought about telling Jarvis about his dad getting mad, but he could probably figure it out anyway and Tony didn’t feel like talking about it. He walked the rest of the way to his room, still thinking about it, fresh tears welling up in his eyes. Why was dad so mean all the time? Why did he have to have so many stupid drinks all the time? Why could he act like a real dad and actually spend time with his son?

Tony chucked the pieces of the robot on his desk and dumped his pockets out there too before going over and laying on his bed, facing the wall. He listened as Jarvis gently set down the pieces he had collected also. Tony knew he should probably say thank you, but he didn’t want to speak, he was too upset… but then again Jarvis was kind and really ought to be thanked. Just as he heard Jarvis stepping out the door Tony rolled over and called out.

“Thanks for helping me clean up Jar,” he said. It didn’t come out the way he wanted, clear and sure sounding. It sounded wet and weak and his voice cracked. Tony, shut his mouth, starting to wish Jarvis didn’t hear him, but the butler had and he stepped back into his room.

“You’re welcome Master Tony,” he said. Tony watched as he softly closed the door before stepping over to his bed in a few long-legged strides. Jarvis lowered himself to sit down next to the boy and Tony immediately moved closer to him, stifling a sob. He was soon surrounded by the long, loving arms that pulled him into a hug.

“Why Jarvis? Why doesn’t dad love me? I’m just a mistake! He’s never happy with anything I do, I try I really try to do my best but it’s never enough!” Tony sobbed into Jarvis’ waistcoat. 

The butler soothingly rubbed circles on the boy’s back as he cried and was silent for a few moments, letting Tony let it all out, before he spoke. 

“Anthony, your father loves you very much-,” he started, but Tony cut him off.

“You always say that Jarvis! You always say that! That he might let me help in the lab, that he’s confused or stressed, and it’ll get better, but it never does! I don’t even want to go into his stupid lab, I’ll just mess something up and he’ll get pissed off at me because I’m a screw up!” Tony said, pulling away from Jarvis and pounding his fists onto the mattress. He let out a sobbing groan of frustration. “I wish I never had been born!”

At that, Jarvis took Tony by the shoulders and turned the boy to face him. Jarvis’ grip was firm, but not painful like when dad held him and when he looked Tony in the eye, his eyes were only filled with kindness and warmth.  
“Anthony Edward Stark, you are not a mistake. You are not a burden, and you are smart enough. You’re smarter than you think and one of the most brilliant boys I have ever seen. Being smart isn’t the only important trait for a person to have either and you have plenty other ways that make you shine. Don’t think for one second that you are unimportant. You may wish you hadn’t been born but I assure you, my life wouldn’t be as wonderful as it is now,” Jarvis said, his eyes not leaving Tony’s for a second.

Tony looks back into Jarvis’ eyes, searching through them and only finding warm kindness and love and he knows the older man isn’t lying. It’s Jarvis who pulls Tony into another hug, holding him tight. The boy hugs him back slowly, still taken aback and processing his words.

“I love you Jarvis,” Tony said, meaning it with all of his heart. 

“I love you too Tony,” Jarvis replies.

Maybe Tony doesn’t have a perfect dad, but maybe that’s okay, because he has Jarvis and Jarvis just might be better than a dad.


End file.
